


magic signs scratched inside a heart

by thebitterbeast



Series: etched on your skin [1]
Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Background Relationships, M/M, Minor Clarke Griffin/Raven Reyes, Minor Octavia Blake/Lincoln, Wells Jaha Lives, a little bit fluffy don't judge me, i love soulmate aus so this happened, platonic soulmates are a thing though admittedly most in this story are romantic, the soulmate au where your soulmate's first words are written on your body
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-16
Updated: 2015-10-16
Packaged: 2018-04-26 12:07:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5004214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebitterbeast/pseuds/thebitterbeast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where you are born with your soulmate's first words to you tattooed somewhere on your body, Wells grows up with some not so nice words inked across his hip.</p><p>[Alternatively known as, I've crushed together so many tropes into this shot and it is unbelievable fluffy.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	magic signs scratched inside a heart

**Author's Note:**

> i love soulmate aus. all the soulmate aus. but i got around to thinking that the soulmate au where your soulmate's first words to you are on your skin could be very - interesting. [this](http://ankahikoibaat.tumblr.com/post/123456421156) was the result of that, and then this shot came about.

When he is young, before he really knows what it means, before he is old enough to understand the significance of it all, Wells’ father tells him to cover up the words that are curved around his left hip at all times. Wells is just barely three, but the look in his father’s eyes has him agreeing instantly.

He is too young to read the black ink he is born with, but he knows better than to disobey his father.

Wells is only a little older when he learns that everybody is born with black ink somewhere on their body, that it means something Important. Still, he asks no questions to his father, and keeps his hidden, lisping over his words as he raises his nose in the air and sniffs at Clarke that “Daddy says it’s pwivate” and they are back to giggling over the blocks they are playing with.

But then he grows curious. As he slowly grows older, as his body shoots up, as he learns to read and to write and to understand just how Important that black ink is, he wonders what it is about his words that his father is so desperate to hide.

He reads them one night as he gets ready for bed, fourteen years old and almost a man – he reads them, and frowns when he understands why his father had him hide them from the world for so long.

His soulmate, Wells thinks, must be an asshole if those are their first words to him.

* * *

It is easy enough to ignore the words over the next few years, even if his heart does ache a little as he sees friends meet their other halves. His words are not plainly visible like Clarke’s, tattooed on the side of her neck, or Miller’s, wrapped around his wrist, or even his father’s, printed as they are on his collarbone. His are hidden beneath his shirts and his pants, tucked away from the world.

Tucked away from his own self.

Who wants to meet a soulmate whose first words to him are _“What the fuck”_ , after all?

* * *

By the time he is 22, Wells has learnt that not everybody has black ink etched onto their skin somewhere, like Monroe, and not everybody who meets the person whose words are written on their skin winds up in a romantic relationship, like Monroe’s girlfriend Fox and her soulmate Harper.

Clarke takes it as a sign that Wells needs to meet people and date around. Wells, not so much.

But he knows better than to argue with his best friend. And he makes a few new friends along the way, among them the bartender at The Ark, a young woman named Raven who interrupts a conversation between him and Clarke, and turns out to be the blonde’s soulmate.

He has a bit of a breather after Raven and Clarke meet, which he is forever grateful for, but not even Raven can control her newly found soulmate in her quest to find Wells’ True Love.

And yes, Clarke does use that phrase.

Considering the fact that Clarke has never seen Wells’ words, and Wells would like to keep things that way, he readily gives in. The likelihood of Clarke stumbling across Wells’ soulmate is low, he thinks, and if it keeps her out of his hair, he will go along with these blind dates until he can figure out a way to stop her completely.

He does not count on the utter persistence of Gustus. They go on one date, one disastrous date where Gustus is a little pompous, a little overzealous, and a lot in Wells’ space, and Wells makes Clarke swear to never set him up with any of the crew at the Grounder tattoo parlour again.

Gustus does not seem to get the memo, and begins to turn up _everywhere_. It starts with texts, asking about his day, whether they can go out again. It turns into Gustus at his workplace, “I was in the area and thought I would say hi”, and at his door. On the night Wells is supposed to meet some of his friends for drinks, Gustus is there, and Wells panics.

In hindsight, he should have probably just told Gustus to back off politely, but when Wells panics, he _panics_. Approaching Miller’s friend Bellamy, a man he knows of but has never actually interacted with, seems like a good idea at the time. Miller trusts him, after all, and Miller has forever been a good judge of character.

Wells hurries his steps towards the dark-haired older man just as Gustus spots him and looks to be moving over. He wraps a hand around Bellamy’s elbow, and is relieved when he spots recognition in his eyes, and leans into his space before the other man can speak.

“I need you to be my boyfriend for five minutes,” he says urgently, voice low and eyes wide. He looks back over his shoulder and catches sight of Gustus making his way through the crowd, and thus misses the way shock crosses Bellamy’s face.

He does not miss the way Bellamy utters blankly, “What the _fuck_.”

Wells may have given himself whiplash with how fast he turns back to face Bellamy. Gustus reaches them before Wells can fully react, however, and Bellamy’s arm tenses beneath Wells’ touch. He removes himself from Wells’ grasp, and, _shit_ , Wells thinks for a second, _he’s not going to help_ , before his mind goes blank when Bellamy wraps an arm around Wells’ waist and pulls him flush against his side.

“Who is your friend, babe?” he asks, and Wells is sure Bellamy’s pitched his voice lower on purpose. He leans into Bellamy in response, and shifts slightly to smile at the older man.

 _Challenge accepted,_ he thinks. “This is Gustus,” he answers, his own voice taking the tone Clarke once described as ‘velvety smooth’. She was not even drunk that time, and Miller has never let her forget it. “Gustus,” he turns back to the tallest of the three of them, ignoring the frown on his bearded face in lieu of resting a hand on Bellamy’s chest and grinning a bit too wide when he realizes that it is a very firm chest. “This is Bellamy. My boyfriend.”

He is super proud of the fact that he does not stumble over the words because his fake boyfriend for five minutes is also his soulmate and apparently his words are not what they are because his soulmate is an asshole, but a very appropriate reaction to his own first words to his soulmate.

Wells wonders idly where _“I need you to be my boyfriend for five minutes”_ is scrawled onto Bellamy’s skin, and hopes that he has a chance to find out.

Gustus leaves soon after, and Wells detangles himself from Bellamy’s grasp. It would turn awkward very fast, but for the fact that Miller is there and looking at Wells in worry.

“I saw Gustus leaving when I entered,” he starts. “He turned up here too?”

Wells sighs, and can feel the weight of Bellamy’s gaze on him. “Yup,” is all he says, and Miller winces slightly.

“What do you mean ‘too’?” Bellamy interjects, looking from Miller to Wells, his eyes narrowing. Wells lifts one shoulder in a shrug, leaving Miller to actually respond to his friend’s query.

Of all the ways to meet his soulmate, this has to be one of the oddest.

Then again, he has always known he was never going to have a conventional first meeting with the person whose words are permanently inked on his skin.

* * *

They do not get another moment alone together that night, and Wells thinks he might be a little relieved by that. He is still reeling from the fact that he has heard the words he has been hiding from the world from someone. He is still reeling from the fact that the situation involving that person and those words was nothing like he expected.

He is still trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his soulmate? Is extremely attractive.

And his friend’s best friend. That bit must be noted because it means he is going to be seeing a lot of Bellamy.

On the bright side, he has not seen or heard from Gustus since that night at the bar. It has been a relief to not have to enter his favourite coffee shop warily, or hesitate before opening his front door. He has not seen Bellamy again either, but then he has never run into him without Miller present, so maybe that is a good thing.

Of course, as soon as he thinks that, he runs into – and he means literally _runs into_ – Bellamy in the early morning as he is winding down after his jog and heading towards a new coffee shop Miller suggested to him. The door swings open just as he is reaching for it, and Wells just barely manages to side step it and into the path of the man exiting the shop. They collide, rather heavily, and Bellamy’s coffee drips down his shirt, and down Wells’ bare arm, and Wells can only gape wide-eyed at the other man.

“Shit,” he says. “Shit, I’m so sorry.” He is trying to pat dry Bellamy’s shirt before he can really think about it, instinct and nerves meaning he does not even notice the way Bellamy is looking at him in shock and some amusement until there is a vibration under his hand, and Bellamy is speaking. Wells blinks as he looks at the brunet again.

“It’s alright,” he soothes, and damn if Bellamy’s voice does not sound as good, maybe better, than Wells remembers. “You could get me another one if you really want to make it up to me.”

Wells is very grateful for how dark his skin is. It means Bellamy cannot see the automatic flush that covers his cheeks. The low chuckle he hears from the other man tells him that Bellamy did catch the way his lips curl into a shy smile, however. He cannot bring himself to feel embarrassed about it.

Bellamy holds open the door for him to enter, and Wells is grinning to himself as the older man follows behind him to the counter, and as they place their order. There is a lack of the awkwardness that was present That Night, and Wells likes it. They collect their order and find a seat, and Bellamy leans forward slightly, resting his arms on the edge of the table. Wells unconsciously mirrors his actions.

“So,” Bellamy smirks slightly. “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.” Wells’ eyebrows shoot up. The other man splutters and continues, “I don’t mean it that way,” he clarifies. His eyes flicker over Wells’ form, and he grins cheekily. “I mean, that way too, eventually, but not today.”

Wells cannot help the huff of laughter that escapes his lips, and tension he was not even aware of seems to lift. He relaxes in the chair and smiles back at Bellamy, leaning closer, close enough to see all the freckles on the other’s face. Briefly, he thinks that someday he wants to trace them all, with his eyes, with his fingers, with his mouth. “I don’t show and tell on the first date, Blake,” he drawls softly. It is only because their eyes are locked that he sees Bellamy’s surprise, and his amusement, and an emotion that Wells does not recognize - what Wells will later learn are his reservations - fall away.

Bellamy leans back and smiles. Not the smirk that Wells has seen in Miller’s photos, or the half-smile of earlier, but a full smile that takes his breath away. “I guess I’m going to have to take you to dinner then,” he says, also in that quiet way that has been permeating their entire conversation.

“I guess you are,” Wells returns, and this time, when their eyes meet, Wells ducks his head slightly, feeling his heart hammer in his chest.

He has never been more glad to be so wrong about anybody in his life.

* * *

Somehow, they manage to coordinate their timings enough to go on a date. And then another date. And then another. And then they’ve been dating for an entire month and none of their friends seem to have realized it. They are both relatively pleased by this fact, because the people in their lives are nosy as fuck, but Bellamy also wants to announce to the world that he is dating Wells Jaha so _will you kindly please back the fuck off, he is **taken** , that means you Gustu_s.

Because Octavia did not receive the memo that Gustus is to stay far away from Miller’s friend, and Bellamy is not happy to see him at the bar on his sister’s birthday. There is nothing he can really do, however, because Gustus is a friend of Octavia’s soulmate and fiancé, Lincoln. Nothing he can do about telling Gustus to leave, he thinks, but when he spots Wells walk in with Clarke and Raven and approach Octavia, he grins to himself. He can still keep Gustus from trying anything with Wells.

He approaches the group, that amused grin still on his face as he grips Wells’ elbow and turns him around slightly. Clarke has a frown on her face, but Bellamy’s eyes are only on Wells, who tilts his head in silent question at his boyfriend. “I need you to be my boyfriend for five minutes,” Bellamy says solemnly.

Wells blinks at him, and a smile spreads across his face, amusement and fondness colouring his tone as he responds with, “What the _fuck_ , Blake,” even as he twists around in Bellamy’s hold to make it easier to wrap his arm around the shorter man’s waist. There is surprised murmuring from the others, and Octavia claps a hand over her mouth as her eyes widen in recognition of her brother’s words.

“Holy shit,” she says, breaking into the bubble surrounding the two men. “Holy shit,” she breathes out again. She hits her brother’s arm. “You found him? And you didn’t tell me?”

“What are you talking about?” Clarke asks, eyes still suspiciously narrowed on Bellamy and his hold on Wells.

Octavia turns to Clarke, her eyes still wide, but an ecstatic grin on her face. “His soulmate,” she explains. “Granted, when I first read his words I expected, I don’t know, damsel in distress, maybe, but this is so much more his type.”

Wells laughs at that, and at Bellamy’s disgruntled look. He leans into Bellamy’s side and casts a glance at Octavia, and then an apologetic one at Clarke. “I’m not a damsel, but to be fair, that night, I was a little in distress.”

Raven grins at her friend, and the picture he makes with his boyfriend. “Someday you’ll have to tell us the story,” she informs him, and when he nods in response, tugs her girlfriend away. When Clarke looks to be resisting, Raven leans in close and whispers in her ear. What she says, Wells is not sure he wants to know, because Clarke turns faintly pink, and an unholy grin lights up her face before the two slip into the crowd.

Octavia looks at the couple again and grins, and tells her brother, “You did good, Bell. Don’t screw this up.”

Bellamy scowls down at her. “Go away, O.” Wells pokes his side, and Bellamy rolls his eyes. “I mean, go enjoy your party, O.”

Octavia positively cackles as she leaves, and Wells turns to his boyfriend with a small smile on his face. “Not that I’m complaining, but what brought that on?”

The other man shrugs and pulls Wells closer by the hem of his shirt. Wells goes willingly, his hands slipping into the back pockets of Bellamy’s jeans. “I just thought it was time for people to know.”

Wells raises an eyebrow and flicks his eyes behind Bellamy and then back down to meet his boyfriend’s gaze. Bemusement lurks in brown orbs and he drily states, “You mean Gustus is here and you wanted to stake a claim.”

Bellamy smirks. “Isn’t that what I just said?”

His boyfriend shakes his head, but there is so much amusement on his face that Bellamy knows that Wells is happy about this. He barely has to lean up to brush his lips against Wells’, so he does just that. They stand there for a beat before Wells pulls away to rest his forehead on Bellamy’s.

“I need you to be my boyfriend for longer than five minutes,” Wells whispers finally. The amusement is still there, but beyond that, Bellamy thinks he spots a hint of vulnerability that he wants to erase.

So he smiles, a proper smile, the one he only ever uses around Wells, and says, “I’m keeping you for-fucking-ever,” and kisses him again.

His soulmate, Wells thinks, may be some sort of an asshole, but Bellamy is _his_ asshole, so he is more than okay with it.

**Author's Note:**

> (all the wells, all the time! follow me on [tumblr](http://ankahikoibaat.tumblr.com) for more?)


End file.
